Children: child care; child care provider funding program; create. Amends 1973 PA 116 (MCL 722.111 - 722.128) by adding sec. 13b. TIE BAR WITH: SB 0945'26
Summary
SB 946 would amend Michigan’s child care licensing law to create a new child care payment program and a restricted child care payment fund within the state treasury. The Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential would administer the program and use the fund to provide financial assistance in the form of bonus payments to qualified child care providers that have recently billed the state’s child development and care program.
The bonus structure is tied to the number and age of eligible children served. Children older than 36 months would count at a base bonus rate, while children 36 months old or younger would count at double that rate, reflecting a higher payment for care of younger children. The department would evaluate participation annually on October 1 using an unduplicated count of children served during the six preceding payment periods. The bill also sets rules for the fund, including that money does not lapse at the end of the fiscal year, may not be spent without a specific appropriation, and may not be used to satisfy state match requirements for federal aid or block grants.
Impact
The bill would add a new section to 1973 PA 116 and create a new state funding mechanism for child care provider bonuses. It would affect child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes that participate in the child development and care program, while also assigning new administrative and auditing responsibilities to the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential and the state treasurer. Because the bill is tie-barred to SB 945, it would not take effect unless that companion bill is also enacted.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the available record. Based on the bill’s structure and purpose, the measure appears intended to support child care providers financially and may be viewed favorably by providers and advocates for child care access. The absence of recorded opposition in the supplied materials means sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s apparent policy goal.
Contention
The main policy questions raised by the text are how the bonus payments will be funded, how the restricted fund will be administered, and whether the payment formula appropriately targets providers serving younger children. The bill also limits spending to specific appropriations and bars use of the fund for state match obligations, which may be important to fiscal policymakers. Another point of potential contention is the tie-bar to SB 945, meaning this bill depends on companion legislation to become effective.
Same As
State management: funds; interest earned from money in the countercyclical budget and economic stabilization fund; deposit into the child care payment fund. Amends sec. 351 of 1984 PA 431 (MCL 18.1351). TIE BAR WITH: SB 0946'26
Children: foster care; department to use or conserve benefits for children in foster care in the best interests of the children in foster care; provide. Amends 1994 PA 203 (MCL 722.951 - 722.960) by adding sec. 8f.
Children: child care; passing along fees for criminal background checks to certain childcare employees to the employees; prohibit. Amends secs. 5d & 5n of 1973 PA 116 (MCL 722.115d & 722.115n).
Children: child care; child care licensing rules; exempt for certain centers operating preschool classrooms. Amends sec. 1 of 1973 PA 116 (MCL 722.111).
Children: child care; requirement for licensed child care centers, group child care homes, and family child care homes to maintain up-to-date information of immunization rates among children in their care and staff on site; provide for. Amends 1973 PA 116 (MCL 722.111 - 722.128) by adding sec. 16a.